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“He’s Not A Dirty Player”

Typically, assistant coaches echo the feelings and thoughts of their head coach. But in the case of Bucs safeties coach Mikal Smith, that probably rings a little more true than usual.

Smith’s dad is Lovie Smith.

Joe heard the younger Smith say multiple times at One Buc Palace last week that the Lovie regime has no problem with the what they’ve seen on film from often-fined, sometimes-suspended safety Dashon Goldson.

Why?

“He’s not a dirty player,” Mikal Smith said more than once.

Hearing that, Joe strongly suspects Goldson’s intent was far more important to Lovie than the end result. When evaluating Goldson, that was an important distinction.

Mikal Smith was confident that Goldson’s 2013 experience at the hands of Roger Goodell, plus the coaching of Lovie’s staff, will lead Goldson to effectively stay ferocious and relentless while avoiding the unnecessary penalties.

Joe likes what Goldson can bring on the field and believes Goldson and Darrelle Revis absolutely will thrive in a system that won’t be stubborn and will set them up for success.

Regardless, the Bucs are stuck Goldson in 2014. Per Rotoworld.com, Goldson will earn $6 million guaranteed this season, plus a $3 million bonus if he makes the roster. Translation: “The Hawk” is a lock to be a Buccaneer this summer. Joe will now take a happy moment to think about what the Bucs secondary will look like if Goldson, Revis and Mark Barron play near their potential.

Reputation and intent are irrelevant. I couldn’t care less if they fined him his entire salary. The key question is: Do the penalties and suspensions ultimately hurt the team more than the on-the-field play helps it?

He’s not a dirty player, he has grown up, probably from little league through college, being trained to knock out anyone who enters his area. As with most things in life, they evolve, things change and he needs to change his game to adapt to the pass oriented and favored NFL.
Lowering the aim point is not the only issue and that is all Shiano talked about. DG needs to make way more plays on the ball, not the receiver. Stop flying in with no other intent but to decapitate someone and actually intercept or swat down a pass – that is what the FS is supposed to do. If you are too late to touch the ball, make a hit that will jar the ball loose BENEATH the shoulders.
I am confident that Lovie and his group of assistants will focus far more on fundamentals, much like Dungy, and less on bringing two water bottles to a meeting. The talent in our secondary in the starting 4 is insane – stress fundamentals, give these guys a simple system to run and let their talent and natural ability shine through.
If we can sign a true nickel corner – sorry LJ no way- we have a top 3 secondary in the league.
If we can win a SB with Dexter Jackson, not bashing just saying he is an average NFL safety, we certainly should with DG.

I don’t think Goldson is a dirty player either. Kam Chancellor is a case study in controlled aggression. Nobody hits harder, but most times legal. It’s mastering your technique. I think Goldson will get it – good coaching and 200,000 reminders will help out.

I’m starting to get a little worried about us getting Tillman. When I saw his story on the NFL Honors show and the recognition he received at the Super Bowl for winning the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, it’s going to take a lot to get him away from Chicago after so many years there. Too much history and emotional ties!

Banks will develop. He got picked on early but had a much better second half of the season. Can’t imagine a better coaching staff for him to blossom under, especially if Tillman comes on board.

Regarding Goldson, here’s the thing. I do not remember the defense getting burnt too often down field. The intermediate and underneath throws killed the defense (which drafting Mosley would cut down on), but Goldson kept a lot of plays in front of him which is the safety’s job right?

T in Orlando Says
Round that out with Jonathan Banks (who may only have a ceiling of a very good 2nd corner) and perhaps Charles Tillman playing to their potential, and the secondary would be down right scary.

Banks rookie year was better than any one of Ronde Barber’s first 4 years. That’s not to say he will be better than Barber, but that it is far too soon to determine his ceiling.

Charles Tillman won’t be coming here. He has stated he is remaining where he is at.

He is an above average safety. I cant stand all the hate. This team was not coached well at all. Also why is everyone saying he is a SS? he has been a FS since coming to the league. Whitner was and is the SS in San Fran. Learn the game kids

Goldson can be a liability in coverage, I’m not sure playing a lot of cover two will be good for either of our safeties but I guess will find out. In Chicago movie went through different combinations of safeties like nobodies business.

he’s been a vocal leader and hard worker by all accounts, but the bucs will move on from goldson as soon as his guaranteed money is no longer an issue, which i think is next offseason. we have a very similar player in Barron, and only greg schiano and his 20th-century football mind thought having 2 big investments (paid big $ for one, picked the other over kuechly) in strong safety types would be a winning formula.

@KWBucsfan, you can call goldson what you’d like, but what i’ve seen is that he’s only worth the big money when he is filling the duties of a Strong Safety. You can get a guy to play the true FS role for a good bit less who’d probably do a better job vs dominant TEs and empty backfield sets. He’s being paid top FS money, but if he’s among the best at any role it’s SS. It’s alot harder to take a guy off the field for an Ahmad Black type when you’re paying him $6 mil a year or more